The “Enduring Racism” speaker series at Holyoke Community College continues Wed., Feb. 13, with a program examining the structural foundations of mass incarceration in the United States.

Rahsaan D. Hall, director of the Racial Justice Program at the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, will deliver a talk, “Seamless Thread,” beginning at 11 a.m. in the HCC Library on the second floor of the Donahue Building on the main campus at 303 Homestead Avenue.

The program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

A discussion will follow the talk.

Hall is a former assistant district attorney in Suffolk County, where he prosecuted drug, gang and homicide cases. In his role with the ACLU, he works on issues that impact communities of color and other historically disenfranchised communities. In 2018, he was named one of Boston’s 100 Most Influential People of Color for his leadership and positive contribution to the city.

The “Enduring Racism” speaker series is a yearlong invitation to join in an open and honest conversation about racism and its many forms in American society. It is supported by the Community College Public Humanities Center at HCC.

“Through the sharing of personal stories and scholarship, we trust that as a community we will become more knowledgeable, so we can begin the process of overcoming the pain and degradation of racism,” said Mary Jane O’Connor, HCC Wellness coordinator and one of the event organizers. “We do this with the recognition that this can be both a challenging and an affirming conversation and also understand that it is necessary and must be on-going as we seek truth and reconciliation.”

For more information contact Mary J. O’Connor at moconnor@hcc.edu, 413-552-2422 or Camille Close at cclose@hcc.edu or 413-552-2277